Psalms 91:12

They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. THEY SHALL BEAR THEE UP IN THEIR HANDS, LEST THOU DASH THY FOOT AGAINST A STONE - namely, a stone of stumbling, or a danger such as meets the man of God in his course through life, without his seeking it, or running rashly and presumptuously into it. So the passage derived from this one, , "Then (if thou keep the fear of the Lord, which is wisdom) shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble." The tempter suppressed this important qualification of the promise; Satan also omitted "in all thy ways." If the believer goes out of his way to brave a danger uncalled by duty, he cannot look for God's protection (). He is "tempting the lord" - i:e., needlessly testing God's power and faithful...

12_They shall bear thee upon their hands. _He gives us a still higher idea of the guardianship of the angels, informing us, that they not only watch lest any evil should befall us, and are on the alert to extend assistance, but bear up our steps with their hands, so as to prevent us from stumbling in our course. Were we to judge indeed by mere appearances, the children of God are far from being thus borne up aloft in their career; often they labor and pant with exertion, occasionally they stagger and fall, and it is with a struggle that they advance in their course; but as in the midst of all this weakness it is only by the singular help of God that they are preserved every moment from falling and from being destroyed, we need not wonder that the Psalmist should speak in such exalted terms of the assistance which they receive through the ministrations of angels. Never, besides, could we...

9-16 Whatever happens, nothing shall hurt the believer; though trouble and affliction befal, it shall come, not for his hurt, but for good, though for the present it be not joyous but grievous. Those who rightly know God, will set their love upon him. They by prayer constantly call upon him. His promise is, that he will in due time deliver the believer out of trouble, and in the mean time be with him in trouble. The Lord will manage all his worldly concerns, and preserve his life on earth, so long as it shall be good for him. For encouragement in this he looks unto Jesus. He shall live long enough; till he has done the work he was sent into this world for, and is ready for heaven. Who would wish to live a day longer than God has some work to do, either by him or upon him? A man may die young, yet be satisfied with living. But a wicked man is not satisfied even with long life. At length t...

Verse Psalms 91:12. _THEY SHALL BEAR THEE UP IN_ THEIR _HANDS_] Take the same care of thee as a _nurse_ does of a weak and tender child; lead thee,-teach thee to walk,-lift thee up out of the way of danger, "lest thou shouldst dash thy foot against a stone," receive any kind of injury, or be prevented from pursuing thy path with safety and comfort. Let us remember that it is GOD, whose these angels are; HE gives them charge-from HIM they receive their commission, - to HIM they are responsible for their charge. From God thou art to expect them; and for their help he alone is to receive the praise. It is expressly said, _He shall give his angels charge_; to show that they are not to be _prayed to_ nor _praised_; but GOD _alone_, whose _servants_ they are....

THEY SHALL BEAR THEE UP ... - As if they took hold of thee, and held thee up, when about to fall. LEST THOU DASH THY FOOT ... - Lest you should stumble and fall. They will protect you so that you may walk safely....

EXPOSITION THIS psalm, like the majority in the present Book, is without a title. Jewish tradition, however, ascribed it to Moses—a conclusion which Dr. Kay and others accept as borne out by the facts, especially by the many close resemblances between it and Deuteronomy 32:1; Deuteronomy 33:1. Other critics, and they are the majority, trace in it a different hand, but regard it as suggested by Psalms 90:1. The subject is the security of the man who thoroughly trusts in God. This subject is worked out by an "antiphonal arrangement" (Cheyne)—the first speaker delivering Psalms

THEY SHALL BEAR THEE UP IN THEIR HANDS,.... Which denotes the strength and power of angels to carry the saints in their hands; their tender care of them, such as a parent or nurse have of children; the helpless condition of the people of God, who are like infants, and need to be dealt with after this manner; the condescension of angels to take such an office on them, in submission to the will of God; the constant view they have of the saints, being always in their hands, and so in sight: thus they bear them, up in life, and at death carry their souls to Abraham's bosom: LEST THOU DASH THY FOOT AGAINST A STONE; lest they fall into sin, or into any calamity and distress; lest the least hurt or mischief befall them, or the least injury be done them; see Proverbs 3:23. The Targum interprets it of the evil concupiscence, or corruption of nature, which is like a stone; see...

A Psalm written for comfort, but it is not addressed to all mankind, neither I venture to say, to all believers, but only those who are described in the first verse. Psalms 91:1. _He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty._ It is not every worshipper that comes there who shall be thus privileged but those who dwell there, as Simeon and Anna dwelt in the temple. So there are some that abide in Christ and his words abide in them. They live near to God. They receive therefore choicer favours than those who do but come and go. «He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High.» He who has learnt to stand in the holy of holies, near the blood-besprinkled mercy-seat, to whom prayer is a matter of constant privilege and enjoyment-he dwells in the secret place. Such a man, living near to God, shall abide under the sha

Psalms 91 Christ, the Second Man __ 1. In dependence (Psalms 91:1) 2. In security (Psalms 91:3) 3. His triumph and exaltation (Psalms 91:9) This Psalm has no inscription. Its author is unknown, but we know it is the testimony of the Spirit of God concerning the second Man, our Lord. Satan knew this also for he quoted this Psalm to our Lord in Matthew 4:1, omitting the words “in all thy ways” (Psalms 91:11 and...

XCI. GOD PROTECTS HIS OWN. Psalms 91:1 f. Read perhaps Blessed is he that dwelleth, that abideth, that saith of Yahweh. Psalms 91:3. noisome pestilence: read, from the pit of destruction. The pestilence is mentioned with greater fullness (Psalms 91:6). Psalms 91:5. The ARROW may be a metaphor for the sun-stroke. Psalms 91:9. Read, For as for thee, Yahweh is thy refuge. We thus avoid an intolerable confusion of persons. Psalm